Birthdays worth singing about

Arts in the city

• HAPPY birthdays to Canberra Philharmonic Society, “Philo”, which celebrated its 60th at the Courtyard Studio on September 11 and to Canberra’s Austrian Choir, which marks its 30th with a celebratory concert, with Susan Ellis as guest singer, in the Austrian Australian Club, Mawson, 2pm, September 18. Bookings to 6288 7884.

• THE inaugural Global Poetics Tour winds up in Canberra this weekend. On September 17 there’s a workshop at the Diamant Hotel with US slam poetry champions, Jive Poetic and Ken Arkind (1pm-4pm), who are joined from 7.30pm-midnight by our own slammers for “Urban Soul Food” at Urban food store/café, in NewActon East. The next day, the Poetry Summit runs from 1.30pm-4.30pm, followed by a gallery slam session 6pm-9.30pm, both at Diamant.

• “OH What A Night!” is a snazzy music-and-dance revue written by Motown producer George Solomon and producer/director Michael Chapman. It’s based on the songbook of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and we’ll see it at The Q on September 19-23. Bookings to 6285 6290.

• CANBERRA Youth Theatre hosts NZ children’s book author Nikki Slade-Robinson to the company’s world-premiere stage adaptation of her story “That’s Not Junk!” It will promenade through Floriade on September 17-18 and September 24-25 at 11am. Audiences should meet at the Carnival Stage.

• WESLEY Music Centre’s “Lunchtime Live” on September 21 features the Combined Canberra Grammar Schools’ Wind Ensembles playing works by Gershwin and Glenn Miller. The program runs from 12.40pm to 1.20pm. Entry is $2 or paper note.

• THE Embroiderers’ Guild’s annual exhibition runs from September 23 to 25 at the Albert Hall (10am-4pm). Nearly 50 years old, the guild’s annual fundraiser has embroidery, demonstrations of different stitches, light meals and a produce table. It’s always fun.

• CANBERRA Youth Music’s strings groups – Camerata Strings, Sinfonietta, String Ensemble and Peg Mantle Strings – perform music from around the world at Daramalan College from 5pm on September 17. Tickets at the door.

• PELLEGRINOS cafe, at 49 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick, has Antonio Iacovetta’s series of photographs “Taurasi, the Land of Wine” until September 24. Wang Xu’s fascinating exhibition, “Buddha”, finishes at Paintbox Gallery, 32 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, on September 18. And collector Bernie Ayers’ sale and show, including a gouache by Fred Williams, runs from September 17-18 from 10am to 4.30pm at 20 Brown Street, Yarralumla.